Beaches, Boats, Trails Help Large Planned Community Feel Cozy
By Ann Cameron Siegal
Special to the Washington Post
Saturday, June 2, 2007
On a map, sprawling Montclair can seem overwhelming.
However, a drive through this Prince William County neighborhood shows that even with 4,000 houses and more than 15,000 residents -- a population larger than Williamsburg or Falls Church -- a cozy atmosphere is still possible.
Tracy Hansen moved to Montclair with her parents in 1981, when the planned community was in its infancy. She returned with her husband in 1999, when they were expecting their first child.
"Revisiting made me remember why it was such a great community to grow up in," she said. "Montclair is not just a bunch of tract houses on bulldozed land. It has a nice neighborhood environment, close enough to D.C. but far enough away."
A 108-acre man-made lake built in 1965 is the first thing residents tout about the community. With three beaches, several waterside picnic areas and a ban on motors larger than trolling motors, the lake offers Montclair residents a quiet nearby respite from outside commotion.
Houses in a variety of styles are nestled among mature trees. There are large Colonials, cozy cottages and townhouses, including a townhouse community with canoe and kayak racks in a lakeside common area.
The lake's perimeter varies considerably in topography. Some back yards gently slope to the waterline. Navigating the steep stairways in others gives owners a cardiovascular workout.
Residents invariably wince, however, when they speak of any commute involving Interstate 95 or Route 1. "It can be horrendous," Hansen said.
Those who make the trek most easily have flexible schedules allowing them to bypass rush hour or can take advantage of Virginia Railway Express or the county's OmniRide bus service.
Because of the traffic, a Montclair mantra seems to be: You don't drive anywhere on a Friday afternoon.
But you may not want to. Montclair, an official bird sanctuary, is an outdoor-oriented community. In addition to the lake, there are a variety of parks, trails and playgrounds -- including the community-built Kids Dominion, with its pint-size climbing walls and a water fountain set within in a huge, comical lion's head.
In June, the community celebrates Montclair Day, a tradition since 1979. On July 4, residents gather on the lake or at Dolphin Beach to enjoy a big fireworks display without the holiday traffic hassle. There's also an annual teen beach party and an Oktoberfest, each drawing hundreds of residents. A variety of resident-initiated clubs, including those for seniors, bunko players, gardeners and history buffs, help folks find their niche.
Jeanne Allen, a 19-year resident, stopped by the property owners association's office recently to pick up her beach pass. "We love bringing our grandchildren out here -- there's such a sense of relaxation." Use of the lake and beaches is limited to residents and guests, a policy that is strictly enforced.
Joe Bengier says his friends can hardly believe the setting he and his wife found in 1985 for $33,000. To the left of the two-story house they subsequently built on the lot is the 14th hole of the Montclair Country Club's golf course -- a private club now for sale. Just out Bengier's back door is the lake. "It's my million-dollar view," he said.
On warm days, Bengier often putters about in his pontoon boat after work as an eighth-grade math teacher. Sometimes he fishes or swims. On one recent weekday afternoon, he had the lake to himself except for a few fishermen. "People often raft up in the summer, but even when the beach is at its max, the lake is not overcrowded," Bengier said.
Robert and Leta Deyerle's daughters worked at the beaches during their teen years. "They could live at home, walk to work and see their friends," Robert said.
Bass, carp and crayfish are plentiful in the lake. Keith Banford, 17, trekked down to Beaver Landing one day after school for some catch-and-release fishing. "I caught a three-pound bass here," he said, gesturing toward the quiet waters on three sides of a heavily shaded spit of land.
Brad Lewis, a youth minister at Montclair Tabernacle, moved to the community a year ago. As his two young sons dipped nets into the water to see what they could scoop up, Lewis said, "A lot of people are moving out to Fauquier and other places to get this kind of atmosphere."
Most children walk to one of three elementary schools in Montclair. Forest Park High, adjacent to the community, sponsors a homecoming parade that winds through Montclair.
Montclair's visual cohesiveness is not accidental. A long list of covenants, as well as property inspections by a professional management company, ensure that all is shipshape.
Marge Lyons, head of the covenants committee, said a rather large gnome lawn ornament prompted her to join the committee four years ago. "As an interested homeowner, I saw some things I didn't like," she said, adding that she thinks people shouldn't complain unless they're willing to do something to solve the problem. Now, lawn ornaments more than 18 inches high are banned. Others need approval.
Not everyone likes the restrictions. Chris Casey, a Web designer, admits he didn't read the association's 50-page document as closely as he should have when he moved to Montclair 17 years ago. But then, he probably would still have missed the part about a ban on political signs -- even in homeowners' yards. "It wasn't some restriction pushed on me after I moved here," he said, "For 14 years, I couldn't have been less involved."
However, his priorities changed after the 2004 election. "A community with political signs is evidence of a community where people care and are involved," Casey said.
Supporters of the ban say that residents see enough political signs cluttering Route 234 during campaign seasons and that posting such signs in Montclair would detract from property values and divide the community, pitting neighbor against neighbor.
Statewide restrictions on a locality's authority to regulate the private display of political signs do not apply to homeowners associations. A state Senate bill that would have extended such protections to association members was withdrawn this year by its sponsor, Sen. Linda T. "Toddy" Puller (D-Fairfax).
The "Free Montclair" Web site Casey created in 2004 to rally residents in support of allowing campaign signs on private property hasn't had its desired effect. Montclair's owners association recently revisited the issue, but a proposal to lift the ban failed; 351 supported allowing such signs, while 839 were opposed. More than 2,500 households did not vote.
Casey described the vote as an "interesting and disappointing opinion poll."
That association vote, in which more residents voted than before, Hansen, said, was Montclair's first use of Internet balloting. "As the community evolves, you've got to change with the technology," Hansen said. "We're exploring different methods to help people participate."
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